


Live Revelations

by tawnwriter



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Reveal x2 combo, Salty, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 06:42:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19267888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tawnwriter/pseuds/tawnwriter
Summary: Kitty <3: Hey Mari, what do you think about doing a public reveal?Buginette: Meet me at the Eiffel Tower in fifteen minutes, and we can talk about it, ok kitty? xKitty <3: Of course, purrincess!Buginette: Dork.





	Live Revelations

_ Kitty <3: Hey Mari, what do you think about doing a public reveal? _

 

_ Buginette: Meet me at the Eiffel Tower in fifteen minutes, and we can talk about it, ok kitty? x _

 

_ Kitty <3: Of course, purrincess! _

 

_ Buginette: Dork. _

 

“..Wow. There’s a  _ lot _ of reporters here, kitty.” Ladybug murmured, watching the media settle down.

 

There had, unsurprisingly, been a lot of support for a public reveal, but she was still astounded to see just how many people were clamouring for the first shot of their civilian identities. There were some familiar faces, however - Nadja Chamack caught her eye and sent a smile her way before turning to talk to someone at her side.

 

“Ladybug? Chat Noir?”

 

The duo turned to see a guard, part of the security force that Gabriel had insisted on.

  
“There are two students causing an incident at the entrance. Alya Cesaire and Lila Rossi?”

 

“Of course.” Ladybug rubbed her temples.

 

_ Of course, she was here... _

 

“My lady? I can deal with it”

 

She smiled at the concern on her partner’s face. Following their unplanned reveal after the reveal and defeat of Hawkmoth, she knew Chat was itching to make up for his action, or lack thereof, toward Alya and Lila.

 

“No kitty, I’ll deal with it. Back in a few!”

 

She followed the guard toward the sound of increasingly loud voices.

 

“...run the Ladyblog and Lila is her best friend! We  _ deserve _ to get in!”

 

Ladybug clears her throat, noting with a smirk the look of panic that flashes across Lila’s face.

 

“Ladybug! Hey, let us in, you know us!” 

 

She ignored Alya, speaking directly to the guard.

 

“I  _ do _ know Miss Cesaire, however the student with her is not my friend. I have known her only from her akumatisations. Furthermore, it was made clear that only those with a pass are allowed in. Do you have one, Miss Cesaire?”

 

Alya paled and started to stutter, but Ladybug was already turning away.

 

“No entry without a pass. We’ll be taking questions from the public later. I have to go, the event will be starting soon.”

 

Ladybug pushed down the part of her that felt bad for dismissing her former best friend so quickly. She had had her chances.

 

She quickly made her way back to her partner, ignoring the sputtering of her ex-classmates as they were lead from the building.

 

* * *

 

 

Alya paced restlessly outside the studio, eyes on the large screen above the front door, where Ladybug and Chat Noir had just taken the stage, smiling at the crowd as Mayor Bourgeois started to introduce the event.

 

“I just don’t understand, why would she say you weren’t her friend, Lila?”

 

“She’s just trying to protect her identity, Al, I’m sure she-” Lila was cut off by a derisive scoff, and she whirled around to see Chloe sitting by some journalist setting up reports via their teams inside the building.

 

“You really are a bad liar, Rossi. Ladybug and Chat Noir called this conference for a  _ reason _ . They’re revealing their identities in ten minutes, you know, so why the hell would she bother lying that you’re not her friend considering everyone’s going to know who she is by tonight?”

 

The journalists at her side hushed them both, indicating to the screen, which showed that Ladybug and Chat Noir had just stepped up to the podium. 

 

Alya was so intent on looking at it, that she didn’t notice Lila’s look of fear or the way she attempted to quietly slip away. Chloe did, however, and grabbed the girl’s wrist in a vice-like grip.

 

“You aren’t going anywhere, Rossi.” She hissed, “Now enjoy the show.”

 

* * *

“Thank you, Mayor Bourgeois.” 

 

The man nodded and smiled, stepping back as the cameras focussed on their heroes.

 

“Four months ago,” Ladybug began, “Hawkmoth was defeated. Today he is imprisoned, and his reign of terror is over. Shortly after his defeat, Chat and I learned who the other was underneath the mask. There were tears, and laughter, and a whole lot of confusion. But, I think that we are better off for it now. I couldn’t imagine stepping down from Ladybug without knowing who it was I had been fighting alongside for three years. From then, the question remained as to whether we should reveal ourselves to the public. I was hesitant, I’ll admit, because this was never about recognition, or anyone’s approval, to us. We fought for Paris because we wanted to, because it was right.”

 

She paused, closing her eyes briefly. Chat slipped an arm around her shoulders.

  
“But juggling this duty was hard. I lost friends, partly because I couldn’t bear to endanger them with the truth, partly due to events beyond my control, and so I lied, as much as I hated doing so. So, in a sense, my reasons for this are selfish. My explanation, my truth, broadcast for all to see.”

 

Chat took over for her, his usually boisterous expression turned serious.

 

“I did not have as hard a time as my Lady did. My life was already manic, and my friends were used to me disap _ purr _ ing or flaking,” he chuckles as Ladybug rolled her eyes at the pun, “I don’t have a whole lot to add before the main event, but rest assured, we still stand for justice. That will never change. Hawkmoth may be gone, but we are still Paris’ protectors, and we won’t be giving up that honour and privilege for a long time.”

 

The cameras flashed, and they stepped out from behind the podium so that they were in full view of the audience.

 

“Tikki, spots off!”

 

“Plagg, claws in!”

 

Two flashes, pink and green, enveloped the pair, and when they faded, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste stood in their place, shy smiles on their faces.

 

* * *

Chloe was trying to be better, she really was, but the look of dawning realisation and horror on Alya’s face was just too good.

 

She’d already known, of course. Marinette and Adrien had asked her and her father to help. They had been the second group that the Heroes had revealed their identities to, with their parents being the first.

 

_ “I can’t wait to see the look on Cesaire’s face, she’s been insufferable since you left.” _

 

_ Marinette sighed. _

_   
_ _ “We will make it so that entrants to the conference have a pass. Mlle Cesaire is not a professional journalist, so she shall not obtain one.” Her father said, and the two had shot him a grateful smile. _

 

Marinette had left Francois DuPont almost three months before Hawkmoth’s defeat, and in the seven months that had followed Lila had tainted the minds of her former classmates, with the exception of Chloe and Adrien, at least.

 

_ “Marinette pushed me down the stairs!” Lila wept _

 

_ “She called me a low life, and said she’d take all my friends away!” She bawled _

 

_ “She tried to hurt me because I’m friends with Adrien!” She sniffed _

 

Chloe could remember every little lie Lila had spun to get the class to turn on Marinette.

 

And judging by the furious shade of red her face was becoming, so could Alya.

 

Chloe smirked, and let go of Lila’s wrist, noting in satisfaction that she was rooted to the spot in fear.

 

_ Checkmate, Lila. _


End file.
